Finance Business Partner

Required for: as soon as possible

Location: Deans Yard - Westminster School

Hours of work: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Specific hours can be flexible to suit the candidate.

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Salary: £55,000 per annum

Benefits include:

• Free school meals when on-site
• Generous School pension scheme
• Free access to the School's leisure facilities, including a fitness gym (restricted hours)
• Cycle to Work Scheme and season ticket loans following completion of our standard probation period
• Private medical insurance (opt in)
• Discretionary Christmas shutdown period

The deadline for applications is 09:00 on Friday 27th June 2025. Interviews will take place shortly after the closing date.

We are looking for an experienced Finance Business Partner to work as part of the Westminster School Financial Planning and Analysis team within the Finance department. The Finance Business Partner will primarily be responsible for providing finance business partnering support for Westminster Under School (WUS), a prep school based in Vincent Square. As the key finance contact at Westminster Under School, the role holder will also work closely with the Finance team which is located at a separate location at Dean's Yard. As part of the Finance Planning and Analysis team, the role holder will also be involved in providing finance business partnering support to other parts of the organisation as well as learning and gaining knowledge of the consolidated reporting process. With responsibility spanning across a number of locations, the role requires flexibility in work location and occasional hot-desking.

With the expansion of Westminster Under School, the School is heading towards busy and exciting times in the coming months and years. Working closely with key stakeholders, the Finance Business Partner will be pivotal in supporting key financial matters.

After implementing a new finance system, we are reviewing, designing, and developing new reporting processes and controls. This is an exciting opportunity for the role holder to work closely with the Senior Management Team and budget holders across the School to understand, contextualize, and report on their financial results.

The role is a key member of the Finance team, which consists of eight people at Westminster School, providing accounting services largely based from school offices. The team is headed by the Finance Bursar and supported by the Financial Planning and Analysis Manager and the Senior Financial Controller.

• Provide finance business partnering support for the Senior Management Team at Westminster Under School
• Act as the first point of contact on financial matters for WUS, with some queries triaged to the central finance team (Billing, Accounts Payable, etc.)
• Support Westminster School Enterprises Limited, the School's newly established commercial wing, with finance support
• Collaborate with budget managers at WUS and other business areas to prepare annual budgets and consolidations
• Undertake ad-hoc projects assigned by the Financial Planning and Analysis Manager to improve the team
• Gain high-level financial knowledge of Westminster School and cover for the Financial Planning and Analysis Manager when needed

Reporting to the Financial Planning and Analysis Manager, responsibilities include:

• Supporting the Senior Management Team at WUS with financial insights
• Being the primary financial contact for WUS, triaging queries appropriately
• Supporting Westminster School Enterprises Limited financially
• Preparing and consolidating budgets and forecasts
• Reviewing budget assumptions for robustness
• Assisting in the consolidation of the school's budget and 10-year plan for submission to governance bodies
• Maintaining accurate cost centre codes and approval flows
• Enhancing budget holders' understanding of financial processes

Financial accounting tasks will primarily be handled by the central Finance Team, with the role support as needed.

In terms of commitment, teamwork, and communication, the role requires:

• Clear communication within the Finance team and across the School
• Cooperative work with colleagues to ensure high-quality service
• Active participation in meetings
• Flexibility to work at other Westminster School locations occasionally

Additional duties include:

• Preparing documentation for the annual audit
• Maintaining a ten-year archive of financial records
• Digitalising financial records to enhance accessibility and collaboration
• Performing ad hoc analyses and reports as requested
• Ensuring compliance with the School's data protection policies
• Undertaking other duties as aligned with the role and as directed by management